


The Worst Is Yet To Come

by PiningTsukkiEnthusiast



Series: The Story of Us (HQ Idol AU) [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Actor!Daichi, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Idols, Attempt at Humor, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Meetings, M/M, Popstar!Suga, Song: Blank Space (Taylor Swift), You'll just have to wait for the next part of the series to truly find out xox, lots of implied stuff, oh yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiningTsukkiEnthusiast/pseuds/PiningTsukkiEnthusiast
Summary: The last six months of Daichi’s life have been nothing short of miserable.Or,Actor!Daichi and Singer!Suga have had a difficult six months. Their agents arrange for them to fake date to get the paparazzi off their backs.
Relationships: Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Series: The Story of Us (HQ Idol AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086785
Comments: 9
Kudos: 53





	The Worst Is Yet To Come

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!! Welcome to something I've been planning for like 18 months now: a Haikyuu!! Idol/Celebrity AU x fake dating x Taylor Swift songs. Yep. This is like, my happy place, stuffed into a nonlinear narrative fic series. I hope that the joy I feel writing it will shine through and that you all will enjoy it. Just a heads up: most of the fics will be rated T, but there are parts of this series that will drift into M and E territory. There's a lot of rare pairs awaiting as we delve into the beautiful disaster of Daichi's and Suga's lives since becoming famous, and I can't wait for you to see everything that I have planned!
> 
> This first song is obviously "Blank Space", and it was originally going to be a three-part fic featuring only DaiSuga and three songs (this, "Delicate", and "ME!"). But then, I started thinking too hard and instead it became this beautiful, longwinded series that I can't wait to share with you all over the next year or so. We'll be covering Red through Lover, so I hope you're ready for a wild ride!

_Ain’t it funny, rumors fly_

_And I know you’ve heard about me_

•————— ♬ —————•

The last six months of Daichi’s life have been nothing short of miserable.

Coping with a breakup is hard enough on its own. It gets harder when that breakup is with your _fiancé_ , who you’ve been with for six years. But when you’re a well-known actor, and the tabloids are always in your face? Well.

Daichi stares down at his drink– it’s just a soda, he’s got more filming to do this evening. But a break is welcome, after the most recent harassment from a so-called journalist.

It happened yesterday. What started as an innocent interview about Daichi’s show ending this season, if he has any more projects, etcetera, slowly devolved into an onslaught of questions. All far too personal, things that no one has any business knowing.

How he’s coping, does he think it’s her fault, has he moved on, did he cheat on her, did she cheat on him– all that garbage. And the longer it went on, the more frustrated he got, until he finally blurted out something to shut them up. For now, that is. Because it only took about ten minutes before social media ate him alive.

 _“I’m bisexual,”_ he’d said, instead of answering a question on if he would ever consider dating one of his female co-stars.

He doesn’t even know why he said it. It certainly wasn’t the way he was planning on coming out publicly. Hell! He didn’t even know _if_ he was coming out publicly. This is all new territory for him.

Not being bi. That much, he already knew. But the fact that he’s no longer in a long-term, stable relationship with a woman he loved enough to marry… it’s come to his attention he could fall in love with a man. Or woman, or any other gender.

There’s no real way to hide from the tabloids.

Daichi has it easy, compared to some of his coworkers and friends. He knows it. But between social media blowing up and PR riding his ass for pulling that kind of stunt without warning them… it’s a bad day.

Just as he’s finishing his drink, someone sits across the table. Daichi braces himself either for a selfie and autograph, or to shoo away pestering paparazzi, but he gets neither of those things. Instead, he finds a curly haired, bespectacled man looking at him.

Daichi blinks, then hums in acknowledgment. “Can I help you?” he asks before taking the final sip of his drink.

“Actually, I think that I can help you,” the man says.

Which Daichi doesn’t think is the best start to a conversation. He just hopes this is about some brand deal, or something, and not someone who was sent by PR to clean up yesterday’s disaster.

“I’m an agent,” he continues when he realizes Daichi isn’t going to respond. “Takeda Ittetsu, with the Karasuno–”

“I already have an agent,” Daichi tells him, relieved it’s just that. He feels himself physically relax. “I’m with the Ukai Agency.”

“Oh, no, I’m not here to be your agent,” Takeda replies. He laughs a little and waves a hand. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be cryptic. I saw your interview yesterday, and I’ve seen the way the public is blowing up. Some of it, mostly from dedicated fans and the queer community, is very positive.”

“And the rest is negative,” Daichi mumbles. Great. So, it _is_ about that. “Look, I–”

“I’m not here to harass you about your personal life. I’m here on behalf of one of my clients,” Takeda presses. “One who is currently in a similar spot to you. Well, actually, no. It’s not similar at all. But my client is being eaten alive by the press. I think that we could work something out for the two of you that may turn the tide.”

Daichi’s brow furrows. “I’m sorry, Takeda-san, but I don’t think that I follow.”

“You could pretend to date. It may give your PR team some peace of mind, and give you some easy lies to slip during any interviews that want to talk about yesterday’s incident.”

“So, what? I date a girl and everyone forgets I came out?” Daichi asks. He doesn’t like this situation, sure, but he’s not sure that hoping everyone forgets he’s bi is the right course of action. Especially not when he knows it must be nice for his queer fans. He knows what it’s like to _be_ a queer fan of someone who came out.

“Who said anything about dating a woman?” And with the way the low light hits his glasses, there’s something almost chilling about the way it.

Which is ridiculous. Takeda looks like he’s short and clumsy and probably apologizes when he walks into a table. But his tone and demeanor is unsettling right now, and Daichi squirms in his chair.

“My client is a man, Sawamura-san. A gay man, who’s been labeled as a bit of a playboy. I think that this could be a mutually beneficial arrangement, without requiring you to try and go back in the closet.”

Daichi’s eyes widen. “Well. I– I guess this all depends. I don’t think I could just pretend to be suddenly in a committed relationship with a stranger.”

“Don’t worry. Ukai-kun and I have already arranged for the two of you to meet this weekend.”

“Ukai agreed to this?” Daichi both is and isn’t surprised. It’s not as if his agent is exactly the epitome of heterosexuality, and he’s probably up to his ears in other shit to do, not needing this added stress as well. Daichi assumes that he probably agreed to the first solution he was offered.

“I wouldn’t have taken this to you without the expressed permission of your agent,” Takeda assures him. “So, what do you say?”

“I’ll meet him,” Daichi agrees. “That’s all I will say until I know what I’m getting into.”

“Fair enough, Sawamura-kun. We’ll see you on Sunday.”

•————— ♬ —————•

Sunday can’t come fast enough. The week’s filming ends the night that Takeda spoke to Daichi, and now, he’s been holing up in his apartment, avoiding all social media, news outlets, and people in general.

He’s a big, fat coward, and he knows it.

On Saturday, Daichi finds himself staring at his phone. He wonders if she’s seen it, if she knows. If she’s proud of him or exasperated or–

It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t love him anymore. She’s moved on, and maybe it’s time that he does too.

Daichi hates it. Hates being so far gone, so head over heels in love with her, when he _knows_ she doesn’t feel the same anymore. She loves him, but not like that. She wants to be friends.

They haven’t spoken in two months. Are they even friends?

She dove right into clearing things up with the public after the breakup, while Daichi just declined to respond. She told the tabloids that she had nothing to hide.

Funny, since no one’s heard from her since about a month ago. Daichi has no idea what’s up with that. He worries. But he’s not going to get hung up on it. Not right now. This isn’t about her.

•————— ♬ —————•

On Sunday afternoon, Daichi goes to the Karasuno Records building with Ukai, prepared to meet the man that Takeda told him about.

He’s curious, of course, because there’s a good few queer artists at Karasuno Records. Most of them have complicated love lives– or at the very least, the tabloids think so. He wants to know just who’s waiting for him on the other side of the door.

“You look like you’re gonna barf, Sawamura,” Ukai says, patting Daichi’s back a bit too firmly. “Calm down, wouldja? You’d think you weren’t a celebrity too.”

“I’m being put on a blind fake date,” Daichi mumbles. “A blind date with no predetermined expiration date. Of course I’m nervous.”

“Wait… Takeda-san didn’t tell you who you’re gonna meet today?” Ukai snorts. “Here I thought you were all nervous ’cause you had a crush on him.”

Daichi blinks. “Do– do _you_ know, Ukai?”

“Of course I know. You think I’d blindly agree to let my best client pretend to date just some random music? I’m acting in your best interest, you ungrateful brat.”

“You’re more and more like your grandfather every day, Ukai.”

Ukai clicks his tongue and raises a fist to knock on the door. It swings open almost instantly.

“Ukai-kun, Sawamura-kun! You’re right on time!” Takeda smiles at them warmly, holds the door open for them. “Sawamura-kun, I’m sure you’ll recognize my client–”

Daichi’s mouth drops open when he steps inside. He’s being duped, for sure. This isn’t happening. No. Someone found pictures of his bedroom when he was seventeen, featuring what was _not_ a shrine – there were no candles, not a shrine – but definitely a slightly intense hoard of stuff. Stuff that included limited edition vinyl of the one album he’d had at the time, a poster, a few magazine articles…

And the subject of that poster is now standing before him, seven years later like some kind of a joke.

He hasn’t heard Takeda try and introduce them. All Daichi hears is white noise.

“You’re Sugawara Koushi,” he gasps, like a dumbass.

Sugawara looks around the room, then back at Daichi. “Uh, yeah. Last I checked.”

“You’re _Sugawara Koushi_ ,” Daichi repeats, because apparently he’s just going for full-blown idiot as a first impression.

“Yeah, Take-chan, I can’t do this,” Sugawara laughs. “You can’t set me up with some drooling fan. I don’t even think he knows any other words.”

Daichi opens and closes his mouth, trying to think of _something_ to refute that. It doesn’t go well. He finds himself saying once again, “ _You’re Sugawara Koushi!_ ”

“We have established this, Sawamura,” Sugawara says, crossing his arms. “Do you need a minute or something?”

“No!” Daichi’s voice cracks a little. It’s mortifying. He clears his throat. “No, sorry, I uh– no one told me who I was going to be meeting. I’m a little shocked is all.”

“Clearly.”

Despite his words, Sugawara looks positively amused. He’s eyeing Daichi like he’s a new toy or something, and Daichi feels even more nervous than he would if he was just _normally_ around him.

Yes, he knows Sugawara Koushi’s dating track record. He knows the tabloid’s version, at the very least. And he knows that there’s a lot of dirt being slung his way since his most recent break up.

It was some other pop star, a couple years younger. Daichi remembers that he was climbing the ranks quickly, starting to overtake some of Sugawara’s record-setting albums. Everyone was ready for a battle between the two of them, for there to be a rivalry. But instead, they fell in love.

Since no one knows when or how or why the breakup happens, the last six months have been nothing but speculation and grandiose accusations. Sugawara and his ex both have remained quiet on the subject.

“You’re staring, Sawamura.” Sugawara looks him up and down. “I suppose that I can work with that, but I don’t know that you’re ready for this.”

“I am,” Daichi counters, far too eagerly. “I mean– I really am. Sorry, my brain just– like, _wow_ , you know? Uh, okay, I had a plan coming here.”

“Pray, do tell.”

Daichi looks at Ukai and Takeda, then back at Sugawara. “Is there somewhere we could talk about this alone? Even though it’s fake, I don’t really want to talk about it with an audience.”

Ukai rolls his eyes, likely about to give him a sarcastic remark, but Takeda speaks first.

“There’s a coffee shop next door. Good security, very private, and Koushi has a booth in the back where no one will see you.”

“Thank you, Takeda-san.”

“Of course.”

_So hey, let’s be friends_

_I’m dying to see how this one ends_

•————— ♬ —————•

Koushi leads Sawamura to his table, where there’s already two drinks waiting for them. Perfect.

He won’t lie, Takeda did good. If Koushi has to fake date anyone, a man like Sawamura Daichi would be right up his alley. Not that he has a _type_ , but as far as believable guys for Koushi to date go. It’s a strong choice.

Besides, it’s stupidly adorable

He sits down and motions for Sawamura to sit across from him.

“You said you had some thoughts and plans,” Koushi begins. “I’m all ears.”

Sawamura nods and folds his hands. Then unfolds them, and refolds, and all around has anxiety radiating off of him.

“Well, I was thinking that it wouldn’t be very believable if we knew nothing about each other. So, we should hang out three times without any publicity and just get to know each other, and see if this is going to work.”

Koushi hums. That definitely seems fair. “Three times, hm? You gonna have time for that? I heard you’ve got a movie lined up after you finish the season finale in a couple weeks.”

“Well, I never said it couldn’t be back-to-back,” Sawamura says with an embarrassed laugh. “I know it’s not ideal, but we’re both busy, and the press is difficult to ignore.”

“When are you free?” Koushi asks. He’s horribly endeared; Sawamura is cute. It’s a good thing this is all fake, because Koushi just _knows_ that if they stumbled upon each other in the dating pool, he wouldn’t be able to help but eat Sawamura alive.

“In three weeks.”

“Then, by the end of three weeks, you’ll have figured out what we’re going to do for those three days back-to-back, hm?” Koushi finally picks up his coffee to sip on– warm and comforting against the harsh chill of January. “Unless you want to count this as number one.”

“This– this could count.”

Koushi hides his smile behind the rim of his cup. He’s not going to last long here if Sawamura’s going to stammer and fluster over every little thing.

“Alright. So, first question, how old are you? Because if you’re acting like this, you’ve got to be at least younger than me.” Koushi is just teasing, obviously. Sawamura is a well-enough-known actor that Koushi is full aware of his age. But come on, acting like a fanboy in the presence of someone who’s equally famous? It’s impossible not to tease.

“I just turned twenty-five,” Sawamura replies. “We’re the exact same age.”

“Well, not the _exact_ same,” Koushi muses. “I’m turning twenty-six in six months, so I was right. I’m older.”

Sawamura rolls his eyes. “Oh, so you’re going to be one of _those_ people, then. We would’ve been in the same grade in school, you know.”

“Speaking of, I have to ask, did you listen to my first album when it first came out?” Koushi sets down his coffee and leans forward, chin propped up on his hands. “Because I can’t imagine anyone older than eighteen at the time being such a fan.”

He watches as a beautiful pink blooms across Sawamura’s cheeks. “Yes… my best friend recommended that I listen to it. And I liked it, because it was the first music that I’d ever heard that was so– well–”

“Gay?” Koushi supplies. “Yes, Take-chan thought that it was bold, and I was more than willing to comply.”

Not the full story of how he got discovered, but it’s close enough.

Sawamura nods shyly. “I like your newer stuff more, as you’ve grown as an artist, but _Seventeen_ will always mean something special, I think.”

“I’m glad that it had the right effect, then.” Koushi smiles, genuine and for once, no teasing laced in it. “So, next. About the fact you _came out_ last week, was that staged? I mean, we all know what’s coming up in your show. Did you plan to do it right before then?”

“Oh, god, no,” Sawamura laughs. “Actually, I didn’t mean to come out at all. But they were getting on my nerves, and I just blurted it out. And now it’s out there, for everyone to judge.”

“Unplanned coming out, I’m sure your PR team is having a field day trying to fix that.” Koushi thinks of his own team, and how much they run around trying to dispel any rumors following one of his flings or breakups. It’s a hard job, but thank god it’s not _his_ job.

“Uh, yeah, _this_ is them, fixing it,” Sawamura points out, gesturing between the two of them. “Ukai is a real jerk, too. He knew I was a fan, and he didn’t think to warn me.”

“Well, you just tripled his workload. I think it’s his right to have a bit of fun,” Koushi says. “Plus, I’m not going to complain about seeing your reaction. That was hilarious.”

“Did you know?” Sawamura asks. “That it would be me, I mean?”

Koushi nods. “Yeah, after it happened and blew up, Take-chan told me what he was thinking. And, well, it’s been a shitty six months for both of us, hasn’t it? Why not send the press on a little wild goose chase for drama?”

“You mean, you don’t just want to fake date to restore our reputations or whatever?”

“Restore our– hell no! That’s so _boring_ , Sawamura. No, I want to put on a show for the tabloids. I want to leave just enough breadcrumbs for them to think everything they’ve ever written about me is completely true! And then I want to watch them chasing their tails, tripping over their own lies when they realize they’re wrong. I want to make them _pay_ , Sawamura.”

Sawamura’s eyes are wide, and for a moment, Koushi thinks he’s scared him off. But then, he looks a little closer, and he sees it. The sparkle, the _hunger_. They’ve both had some garbage six months, Sawamura’s probably worse than his. Enough to compensate for the seven years of hell that Koushi’s lived through with the tabloids in his shit at every turn.

“That sounds perfect.”

•————— ♬ —————•

Koushi’s always found his reputation as a playboy to be nothing short of hilarious.

A heartthrob, he supposes. Heart _breaker_ , maybe. But a player? Come on now. He’s a serial monogamist more than anything, and it’s something that he’s actually had to talk about in therapy.

He knows that being happy to be single is supposed to be normal. It’s not like he doesn’t enjoy it, because he does! The problem is that he doesn’t do _flings_ , and he’s incredibly all-or-nothing. So, when something starts with a cute guy, of course he’s giving his all.

More often than not, he gets left with nothing.

Opening Instagram these days is always a bad idea. He still follows most of his exes – all except for one – and it convinces the majority of the public that they’re still on amicable terms. For the most part, that’s even true. No matter how the tabloids like to paint things, the majority of Koushi’s breakups have been peaceful and mutual. Conflicting schedules, lack of romance, falling out of love.

There’s been a few explosive breakups, he supposes. But almost every one that wasn’t mutual, he was the one that got dumped. He’s not sure how this translates to _playboy_ , but all he knows is that he’s glad he’s not a woman. The bad press would be tenfold if he was, and he knows it.

(Not that being gay is all sunshine and rainbows, of course. He knows that it’s a contributing factor to his reputation, like he’s some horny flamboyant player always on the prowl for his next seduction. Which is stupid, because Koushi does not _prowl_ and he’s barely even horny. Why are straight people so weird?)

But back to the thing about Instagram being a bad idea. As soon as he opens it, he’s greeted with three pictures he doesn’t want to see:

1) His most recent ex and said ex’s new boyfriend, a sunshiny volleyball player from the upcoming Olympic team.

2) Another ex who just got married to a beautiful woman who puts everything about Koushi to shame.

3) His least favorite on-again, off-again boytoy announcing that he’s landed back in Tokyo and is thrilled to take down their team as part of Argentina’s.

Koushi double taps on each one and leaves his congratulations like the fake ass bitch he’s capable of being. Only the third one replies, an even faker ass bitch. Cute.

He sighs and decides to close his phone. More than enough dealing with things for the day. He finds himself longing for the next time he can see Sawamura, wondering what the plans are to get to know one another and if they’ll end up doing this whole fake dating charade.

Koushi really hopes they will. He could use a bit of drama of his own creation right about now. It’s no fun when someone _else_ starts it.

•————— ♬ —————•

Sawamura texts Koushi to meet him outside of the Karasuno Records studio, and to bring an overnight bag and a passport. Koushi has absolutely no idea what’s awaiting him now.

It’s thrilling, though. Throwing things into a small carry-on bag and making sure he knows where his passport is. He’d be curious about why they’re leaving the country just to hang out, except he understands. A TV star and a popstar cannot go out in public together, when there are leering eyes and listening ears at every corner.

Koushi shows up on time to see Sawamura bundled up and hands shoved in his pockets.

“You ready?” he asks with a small smile.

“I think so, but you’re being awfully shady, Sawamura-kun,” Koushi laughs. “Passport? Where do you think you’re taking me?”

“My friend has a place in Australia, and it’s much more private than this,” Sawamura explains. “And my friends just call me Daichi, Sugawara.”

Koushi’s smile widens a little. “Well, my friends just call me Suga, Daichi.”

Three weeks seems to have been plenty of time for Sawamura – _Daichi_ – to process this little arrangement. No longer is he a flustering mess, but rather exuding a quiet confidence in himself. It leaves Koushi looking for chinks in his armor, just so he can poke fun at him again. Well, he’s got all weekend to find out.

Daichi nods to a car before he heads over to it, holding the door open for Koushi.

“Thank you,” Koushi says before sliding in. Daichi follows close behind.

“Where to?” the driver asks, turning to look at them. Koushi nearly swallows his tongue when he realizes it’s Nishinoya Yuu.

“You know where,” Daichi reminds him, but then pauses, looking between the two of them. “What, do you know each other?”

“ _Know_ each other?” Koushi gasps. “We went to high school together! Noya! What are you doing back in Japan!”

He turns to explain how they know each other to Daichi, but Daichi’s smiling like he already knows. And then, it clicks.

“ _You’re_ the friend with the place in Australia!”

“The one and only,” Noya assures him, starting the car. “What a small world, right! Daichi-san told me what’s going on, but don’t worry about a thing! My lips are sealed, Suga-san!”

“Oh, they’d better be! I’m not letting anyone take this opportunity to have a little fun away from me!”

“Hey, did you hear I’m getting a cameo in Daichi-san’s movie?”

“No way! Look at you, getting onto the big screen! Think you’d ever do it full-time?”

“Oh, god no. I like being in charge of my schedule! I’ve gotta be free as a bird, Suga-san, you know that.”

Daichi watches them talk with an amused look in his eyes, and Koushi is thrilled to have his old friend here. They haven’t seen each other since–

Well, since five years ago, when…

Koushi’s smile falters, and Daichi seems to pick up on it. He tilts his head curiously, but Koushi waves him off. That’s a story for another time.

_Grab your passport and my hand_

_I can make the bad guys good for a weekend_

•————— ♬ —————•

Flying first-class never gets old to Daichi, growing up humbly in the country as he did. Suga and Noya seem to share the sentiment, eyes wide and excited as they sit in their little pocket of the plane. Now that they’re in the air, they’ve closed the screen to separate themselves from the rest of the passengers, and the three of them (plus a couple bodyguards) are safely tucked away from prying eyes.

“So, Daichi,” Suga starts, sitting cross-legged in his seat. “You have to tell me, _how_ was kissing Kuroo Tetsurou in the season finale?”

Daichi laughs. “Uh, well I’ve known him most of my life, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I guess he didn’t suck at it though.”

“I can’t believe you guys actually did it! I didn’t think there was any way the network would let a gay couple be canon in this genre! Seriously, why don’t we have more gays in action media?” Noya whines.

“Well, it’s always been the endgame,” Daichi tells them. “From the very start, our writers were clear about it. The writer, executive producer, and director, Ennoshita Chikara? This was his first project too, and the fact it was accepted by the network was exciting. We all knew we had five seasons to build up a perfect romantic relationship, because if we jumped the gun, that was it, and we’d get cancelled.”

“So, saving it for the end, they couldn’t cancel it,” Suga says, eyes bright with interest. “That’s so smart! Well, you and Kuroo-san have great on-screen chemistry. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.”

“Oh, so you’re a fan, then?” Daichi asks with a smug look. It’s only fair, after the amount of teasing he endured upon learning that he was being fake-set up with Sugawara freaking Koushi.

Suga seems unaffected, however. “Sure, of the show. I guess you were okay too,” he teases.

“Uh-huh, how long have you been watching?”

“Well, it’s been on for five years?” Suga double checks. After Daichi nods, he hums. “Then, roughly five years.”

Daichi’s heart does a somersault– he can’t believe that someone he’s admired since the beginning has been admiring him right back. That’s kind of awesome.

“I could introduce you to Kuroo if you ever wanted,” he tells Suga. “Like I said, I’ve known him forever. He’s actually the one who showed me your music.”

Suga smiles at that. “No way! I’m honored. Well, if all goes well this weekend, I’m sure there’s going to be _plenty_ of opportunities to meet him!”

Daichi thinks about that, about Kuroo playing along with this whole charade. It’s dangerous, and he’ll have way too much fun with it, Daichi knows. But that’s just fun enough of an idea for him not to mind it.

•————— ♬ —————•

Noya’s house in Australia is pretty nice, Koushi decides, as he sets his bags in one of the guest rooms. There’s a lot of indoor activities, safe from any windows and possible stalking paparazzi. Koushi’s excited for that, because well, his life has been full of tabloids for seven years straight. He could use a break.

“Daichi-san, you never told me how you reacted when you found out you were supposed to fake date Suga-san!” Noya says when they’ve all gathered in the living room. “So, tell me!”

“I was surprised, but I’m fine now,” Daichi says, short and sweet.

Koushi knows that giving Noya ammo to tease is just cruel, so he keeps the full story of Daichi’s reaction to himself.

“Really? Because when we first met four years ago, you totally freaked out when I told you we went to high school together!”

“I didn’t freak out–”

“Yes you did! You were all talking about how you still had a poster of him in your bedroom and is that weird and then I told you I knew him and you clammed right up!”

Daichi’s enter being seems to glow red, and Koushi is doing a miserable job stifling his giggles. His shoulders are shaking from the effort.

“Wow, Daichi, I’m _flattered_ ,” he coos, reaching over to pinch Daichi’s cheek.

Daichi swats his hand away. “Come on, I wasn’t even twenty-one yet. You already knew I was a little bit of a fan.”

“A _little bit_ ,” Noya snorts. “Please, you were–”

“You fainted when I told you I went to high school with Shimizu Kiyoko,” Daichi interrupts. It’s effective in shutting Noya up.

The name rings a bell, but Koushi can’t quite seem to place her in his memory. Hmm.

“That’s what I thought,” Daichi huffs, folding his arms and sitting back. “Now, thank you for letting us stay.”

“Oh, no problem! I had a thing to do here anyways this weekend, so the timing couldn’t have been better!”

Koushi stands up and looks around. “Alright, so, where’s your food?”

“Down the hall and to the left!” Noya chirps.

“Thank you, Noya,” he sings before turning and heading that way. Sure, the plane had some food, but Koushi’s hungry for something more substantial now.

_Got a long list of ex-lovers,_

_They’ll tell you I’m insane_

•————— ♬ —————•

The more Daichi is around Suga, the less nervous he feels. He thinks that if he’d just grown up a couple towns over, if he’d just gone to another high school, they might’ve been great friends. But fate is a funny thing, and here they are.

Shaking hands as they agree, a day early, that they’re definitely going to do the fake-dating thing, and they’re going to be awesome at it.

“How do you think we should announce this to the world?” Suga muses, holding his phone. “Tweet? Just say it? Drop hints and watch them all go mad for it like rabid dogs?”

Daichi laughs. “I don’t know, hints could be okay. What do you have in mind?”

Suga hums, then starts typing. “Sawamura Daichi…more like…Sawamura… _Thigh_ -chi, right?”

Daichi feels his neck and face heat up. “You did _not_ type that.”

“Did so, wanna see?” Suga sticks out his tongue playfully and flashes his phone screen to Daichi. “What do you think? Too forward?”

“Way too forward!” Daichi croaks, reaching for the phone. “Absolutely not, that’s not how we’re doing this!”

“Alright, alright,” Suga sighs. He moves his hand, presumably to hit backspace, but Daichi just slightly bumps his arm. And then, “Oops.”

Daichi’s entire life flashes before his eyes. Eighteen years of confusion, two years of thinking he’d never make it, and then five years of a successful television show but an unsuccessful relationship. Well, it’s certainly been eventful. He can die suddenly and quickly now, he thinks.

“You sent it.”

“I sent it,” Suga confirms.

Daichi’s phone lights up with a Twitter notification to confirm it.

“Do you have Tweet notifs on for me?” Suga asks, eyes twinkling in amusement.

“No, shut up.”

Suga shakes his head and looks back at his phone, laughing at what Daichi is sure are a plethora of comments, freaking out over a simple statement.

“Man, they’re all so _easy_ ,” he says, typing out a few replies. Daichi decides he’s not going to look. He’s been avoiding social media since coming out anyways, so this is nothing new.

•————— ♬ —————•

A few days after they get back, Daichi has an interview on a popular celebrity gossip talk-show. Koushi, being a supportive fake boyfriend, is watching it live in the recording studio.

“So, Sawamura-san, I have to ask you, are the rumors true?”

Daichi gives her the most innocent look, and Koushi feels a grin splitting his cheeks. _He is a good actor, I’ll give him that._

“What rumors?”

“Well, I don’t know if you saw, but Sugawara Koushi posted this on Twitter recently.”

Koushi’s accidental-on-purpose Tweet appears on the screen then, with even more likes and comments and retweets than the last time that he checked.

“Ah, that. What about it?”

“A few people were wondering if the two of you had become an item?”

Koushi snorts. A few people, yeah right. It was blowing up, and they all knew it.

“Well, that’s a bit personal, don’t you think?” Daichi replies smoothly.

“Aw, come on now, Sawamura-san. It’s just the two of us.”

It takes physical strain not to gag at that. These are Koushi’s least favorite types of interviewers, he thinks– the ones who try to break down defenses by making things feel personal and intimate enough for you to spill things publicly that are no one’s business.

“Some of his replies to Tweets seems to imply that you were, you see.”

Daichi glances at the camera, and Koushi feels like he’s looking directly at him. “Well, he hadn’t actually meant to send that Tweet, you know. He was teasing me, and I tried to grab the phone to stop him, but instead, we sent it.”

The interviewer is practically glowing; she knows the honor of being the first to cover this bullshit story.

“Oh? So, the two of you are friends, then?”

Daichi hums an affirmative. “Yes. We were staying with a mutual friend in Australia this weekend.”

Her eyes are wide, and Koushi watches in awe as Daichi strings her and the rest of the audience along.

“Australia? Sounds like an extravagant weekend trip, Sawamura-san.”

“Sure,” he agrees, “but we figured we should do something special for our two-month anniversary.”

Koushi knows he must be grinning like a madman, but he’s so proud of how easily the lie falls from Daichi’s tongue, of how hooked the whole room must be.

“And so, the fun begins,” he hums to himself.

•————— ♬ —————•

> **Suga** _@sugaandspice_
> 
> Sawamura Daichi? More like Sawamura THIGHchi, amirite?
> 
> ↳ **mai** _@koushilov3r_
> 
> _replying to @sugaandspice_
> 
> suga-san, man just came out! don't tell me you're thinking abt pouncing already 😆 /lh
> 
> ↳ **Suga** _@sugaandspice_
> 
> _replying to @koushilov3r_
> 
> Maybe I already did 🤭🙈

•————— ♬ —————•

_’Cause we’re young and we’re reckless,_

_We’ll take this way too far_

**Author's Note:**

> So, it begins! Follow me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/lovingyachi) and [Tumblr](https://www.acesamateurart.tumblr.com) and scream with me about anime and other shit! See y'all in the next part of the series <3


End file.
